Liquid sprayers



June 26, 1962 R, FEDlT 3,040,991

LIQUID SPRAYERS Filed Aug. l0, 1960 i291 Fig. 2

Unite States 3,040,991 LIQUID SPRAYERS Ren Fedit, Paris, France, assigner to Les Vaporisateurs Marcel Franck SA., Paris, France, a society of France Filed Aug. 10, 1960, Ser. No. 48,622 Claims priority, application France Aug. 29, 1959 6 Claims. (Cl. 239-304) The invention relates to liquid sprayers comprising two containers connected to a sprayer head through which they communicate with the outside, directly for one of them (that intended to contain the liquid to be sprayed) and, for the other (that intended to contain a fluid under pressure for ensuring the ejection and spraying of the said liquid) by the opening of a valve controlled by the depression of a push button and mounted on the said head. The invention is concerned with more particularly, but not exclusively, sprayers for liquid perfumery products, and notably those having to be transportable for travelling.

It has for its prime object the improvement of the sealing of such sprayers.

Principally the invention resides in providing the spraying head with a `sealing element adjustable to occupy a choice of two positions, one in which it permits spraying, and another in which it ensures, on the one hand, the tight sealing of passages disposed in such spraying head and through which the container for the liquid to be sprayed communicates with the outside, and on the other hand, the locking of the valve and/or of its controlling push button in a position where the valve rests on its seat.

In one advantageous mode of execution of the invention, the exterior surface of the sprayer head, i.e. the surface into which open the spraying nozzle and at least one air inlet opening for the container of liquid to be sprayed, is given the form of a truncated cone, and this truncated cone is covered by a rotatable truncated conical ring in which are provided passages adapted to be brought by rotation of this ring opposite said nozzle and said air inlet opening, respectively, such rotation of the ring serving at the same time to control the means for locking the above mentioned valve.

Preferably, the ring is resiliently pressed against the truncated cone surface that it covers by a spring which also functions as a return spring for the control pushbutton of the valve.

Other features and advantages of the invention are evident from the following description and the drawing wherein:

FIG. l illustrates, in axial section, the assembly of an automatic perfume sprayer built according to the invention and ready to spray;

FIG. 2 illustrates similarly in axial section, the sprayer head of the same assembly, certain parts being in different positions in which they prevent spraying and ensure the sealing of the assembly as provided by the invention; and

FIG. 3 illustrates the same sprayer, in section along line III-III of FIG. 1.

The sprayer is of the automatic type, in which ejection and spraying of liquid are ensured by the release of a uid stored under pressure in a sealed container controlled by a valve. This sprayer can be arranged in various ways as Will be described hereafter,

The sprayer represented in the drawing comprises a sprayer head, including two joints 1 and 2, for example screw joints, by means of which two containers 3 and 4 are fixed to the said head, advantageously in a removable manner, the container for the ejector fluid under pressure being preferably disposed inside the other, which contains the liquid to be sprayed. On the top of the sprayer head is a push button 5, the depression of which in the direction of arrow F ensures the opening of a plug or valve 6 provided in the head of the joint 1. Advantageously this valve is also arranged as a peiforating element which pierces the closure 3a of the container 3` on the occasion of the first depression of the push button 5 after putting in place the said container on the sprayer head.

When valve 6 is opened, the ejector fluid, which preferably is a liqueiied gas under pressure, such as a halogenated hydrocarbon for instance that known under the commercial designation Freon 12 (dichloro-diuoromethane), or carbon dioxide, escapes from the container 3 around the stem of the Valve 6, traverses the body S of the sprayer head through a channel 9, sucks up the liquid to be sprayed as it passes in front of channel 10 (forming an extension of tube 11 which runs down to the bottom of the container 4), and, carrying along the liquid to be sprayed, leaves the body 3 through a spray nozzle 12 provided in the lateral surface of the body 8 between, on the one hand, the joints 1 and 2 and, on the other hand, the push button 5.

An opening 13 which, communicating with the container 4 between the joints 1 and 2, permits the ini-low of air into this container as the liquid to be sprayed is being withdrawn therefrom through the tube 11, is also provided in the lateral surface of the body 8, for example at a position diametrically opposed to that where the nozzle 12 is situated. To avoid all leaks through the nozzle 12 and the opening 13, and to prevent accidental depression of the push button 5 and in consequence the opening of the valve 6, in accordance with the principal feature of the invention, a closure ring is mounted on the sprayer head in such a manner that this ring can be displaced, by a rotation about the axis of the sprayer head, from a position in which the openings 12 and 13 are open to a position which they are closed, and conversely, and this rotational movement of the ring is made to control means which, for the position of the ring where the said openings are closed, lock the valve 6 in its closed position and release this valve for the opposed position of the ring.

In this connection it is advantageous:

To give the lateral surface of the sprayer head, between the push button 5 and the joints 1 and 2, the form of a truncated cone of which the smaller end is situated near the push button 5;

To cover the said truncated cone by a .rotatable ring comprising a frusto-conical skirt 15 in which are provided passages respectively adapted to be brought opposite the nozzle 12 and the opening 13 by rotation of the skirt 15;

To apply the skirt 15 on the frusto-conical surface of the yhead 3 by means of a spring 16 which, at one of its ends, presses against an annular transverse web 15a of the rotatable ring and at its other end against the underside of the push button 5, thus serving at the same time as a return spring tending to maintain the push button 5 and the valve 6, which is integral with it through stem 14, in their closed position, or to return these parts into such position.

The above mentioned passages provided in the skirt 15 are, for the nozzle 12, an opening 18 extending through the skirt and, for the opening l13, a groove 19 provided in the internal surface of the skirt from the lower edge thereof to a level corresponding to that of the opening 13.

Furthermore, it is convenient to provide below the push button 5 a movable locking element 17, which is controlled by the rotation of the ring. Advantageously the locking element is given the yform of a threaded bushing, whose thread is in engagement with the thread of an axial extension 8a of the body 8, and the element 17 is made integral for rotation with the rotatable ring, while permitting axial sliding between these two parts.

Preferably the rotational connection between element- 17 andthe ring is ensured by means of a sleeve 15b integral with the inner edge of the annular web 15a, this sleeve being provided along opposed generatrices with two grooves 15e in which are engaged complementary lugs or ribs 17h integral with the locking element 1'7.

One can thus by rotation of the ring, which also advantageously has, above the web 15a, a fluted or milled cylindrical wall 15d surrounding the push button 5 at its base, displace the locking element 17 on the threaded par-t 8a between two extreme positions, shown respectively in FIG-S. l and 2. In the position shown in FIG. l, which is the position for spraying, the element 17 is fully screwed on the threaded part 8a of the head, thus freeing the push button 5 throughout its path of travel and, at the same time, providing a rotation abutment for `the skirt 15 defining an angular position in which the opening 18 is in front of the nozzle 12 and the groove 19 in front of the opening 13. In the position shown in FIG. 2, which is that corresponding to the sealing of the sprayer and the locking of the valve control push button, on the one hand the element 17, unscrewed to the maximum on the threaded part 8a of the head and tightly applied against the base of the push button 5, keeps the valve 6 applied on its seat and, on the other hand, the skirt 15 closes the nozzle 12 and the opening 13, ensuring tight sealing thereof.

Preferably, the threads of the parts 8a and 17 are multistart threads, for example four-start threads, with the result that it is suicient for the skirt 4i5 to be rotated a quarter of a turn relative to the head 8 for passing from the position shown in FIG. l to that shown in FIG. 2.

As a consequence of the incorporation of the above features, a sprayer is obtained presenting numerous advantages:

The adjustment necessary to pass from the spraying position to the sealed position and vice-versa is easy to perform:

Due to the conical bearing surfaces of skirt 15 and of the head 8, one obtains a perfect seal comparable to that which could be obtained with more complicated valves.

The sealing arrangement can function as a safety valve in the event of an untimely unscrewing of the container 3, in which case the fluid under pressure passing into coniainer 4 can, on moving the skirt 1S away from the head 8 against the action of the spring 16, escape to the open air.

By reason of their perfect sealing, sprayers according to the invention can, among other things, serve as travelling sprayers and be, without any danger of leaks, carried in suitcases, bags, and so forth in close contact with other articles.

The substances to he sprayed can be of very diverse natures.

They can be perfumery products, pharmaceutical products, insecticides, cleaning products, paints, and so forth.

One can, without departing from the scope of the invention, provide numerous variants not shown, for instance:

'Ihat where the locking element 17 would be constitu-ted by a single retractable stop-notch;

That where the valve 6 would be mounted, not in the sprayer head, but fixed permanently in `the throat of the container 3, still being operated by push button 5 after putting the container 3 in place in its joint 1;

That where one or several air entry openings would be disposed differently from the opening 13 relative to the nozzle 12, which itself could also be arranged differently;

That where the skirt 15 would be provided, on its opening 18, with a tubular extension serving, for example, as a Vnozzle for the introduction of pharmaceutical products.

What I claim is: i

l. A liquid spraying device comprising, in combination. a rst container for liquid to be sprayed, a second i container for pressure fluid, a spraying head with an exterior surface in the form of a truncated cone, a threaded axial extension on said head, a threaded bushing threadably engaged on said extension, a rotatable truncated conical ring covering said surface, a valve in said head, and a control push-button adapted for being moved to open said valve, said rst container having direct communication with the atmosphere via a nozzle for spray emission and an opening for air admission both provided in said head and opening at surface, said second container being in communication with said nozzle through said valve, said ring and said bushing being integral for rotation but axially slidable relative to one another, and said ring being rotatable between an operative position in which said nozzle and opening are opened by said ring and said bushing is spaced from said push-button and an inoperative position in ywhich said nozzle and opening are closed by said ring and said bushing bears against said push-button to prevent valve-opening movement thereof.

2. A liquid spraying device comprising, in combination, a rst container for liquid to be sprayed, a second container for pressure fluid, a spraying head with an exterior surface in the form of a truncated cone, a threaded axial extension on said head, a threaded bushing threadably engaged on said extension, a rotatable truncated conical ring covering said surface, a valve in said head, a control push-button adapted for being moved to open said valve, and a return spring for said push-button, said first container having direct communication with the atmosphere via a nozzle for spray emission and an opening for air admission both provided in said head and opening at -said surface, said second container being in communication with said nozzle through said valve, said ring and said lbushin-g being integrally connected for rotation but axially slidable relative to one another, said ring being rotatable between an operative position in which said said nozzle and opening are opened by said ring and said bushing is spaced from said push-button and an inoperative position in which said nozzle and opening are closed by said ring and said bushing bears against said push-button to prevent valve-opening movement thereof, and said return spring being located between said push-button and said ring to bias the former towards valve closing position and to press the latter against said surface.

3. A liquid spraying device comprising, in combination, a first container for liquid to be sprayed, a second container for pressure fluid, a spraying head with an eX- terior surface in the form of a truncated cone, a threaded axial extension on said head, a threaded bushing threadably engaged on said extension, a rotatable truncated conical ring covering said surface, a Valve in said head, a control push-button for said valve, an upward extension on said ring in the form of a cylindrical sleeve surrounding said push-button at least in part, and a return spring for said push-button, said first container having direct communication with the atmosphere via a nozzle for spray emission and an opening for air admission both provided in said head and opening at said surface, said second container being in communication with said nozzle through said valve, said ring and said bushing being integrally connected for rotation but axially slidable relative to one another, said ring being rotatable between an operative position in which said nozzle and opening are opened by said ring and said bushing is spaced from said push-button and an inoperative position in which said nozzle and opening are closed by said ring and said bushing lbears against said push-button to prevent valve-opening movement thereof, said return spring being located between said push-button and said ring to :bias the former towards valve closing position and to press the latter against said surface.

4. A liquid spraying device which comprises, in combination, a first container for liquid to be sprayed, a second container for pressure fluid, said containers each having an opening, a spraying head comprising a body fixed to both of said containers at the respective openings thereof, a control push-member movable with respect to said head, said 4body thaving an inner passage opening into said second container and a spraying nozzle extending from said inner passage to the atmosphere, a valve operatively connected with said push-member for connecting, in a first position thereof, said passage with said second container and for isolating, in a second position thereof, said passage from said second container, conduit means in part in said first container and opening into said nozzle, said body being provided Iwith an air inlet orifice for connecting said first container with the atmosphere, a manually operable sealing member movably carried by said body for selectively clearing and closing both said nozzle and said air inlet orifice simultaneously, and means operatively connected with said sealing member for locking said valve in said second position thereof with said sealing member closing said nozzle and said orice and leaving said valve free to move with said sealing member clearing said nozzle and said orifice.

5. A liquid spraying device which comprises, in combination, a first container for liquid to be sprayed, a second container for pressure fiuid, said containers each having an opening, a spraying head comprising a body fixed to both of said containers at about the openings thereof, said body being in the form of a body of revolution defining an axis, a control push-member movable with respect to said body, said body having an inner passage extending along said axis and opening into said second container and a spraying nozzle extending from Said inner passage to atmosphere, `a valve operatively connected with said push-member for connecting, in a first position thereof, said passage with said second container and for isolating, in a second position thereof, said passage from said second container, conduit means at least in part in said first container and opening into said nozzle, said body being provided with an air inlet orifice for connecting the inside of said rst container with the atmosphere, a manually operable sealing ring on said body and rotatable thereon, said ring being provided with apertures to selectively clear and close both said nozzle and said air inlet orifice simultaneously, and a bushing threadably engaged on said body and movable longitudinally but fixed rotatably with -respect to said sealing ring for locking said valve in said second position thereof With said sealing yring closing said nozzle and said orifice and leaving said valve free to move with said sealing `ring clearing said nozzle and said orifice.

6. A liquid spraying device which comprises, in combination, a first container for liquid to be sprayed, a second container for pressure fluid, said containers eaoh having an opening, a spraying head comprising a body fixed to vboth of said containers at the respective openings thereof, a control push-member movable with respect to said head, said body having an inner passage opening into said `second container and a spraying nozzle extending from said inner passage to the atmosphere, a valve operatively connected with said push-member for connecting, in a rst position thereof, said passage with said second container and for isolating, in a second position thereof, said passage from said second container, conduit means in part in said first container and opening into said nozzle, said body `being provided with an air inlet orifice for connecting said first container with the atmosphere, a manually operable sealing member movably carried by said body for selectively clearing and closing both said nozzle and said air inlet orifice simultaneously, and means operatively connected with said sealing member for locking said push-member in said second position thereof with said sealing member closing said nozzle and said orifice and leaving said push-member free to move with said sealing member clearing said nozzle iand said orifice.

Carlson et al Aug. 16, 1954 Fedit May 26, 1959 

